A good teacher is an amazing thing

One of my favorite people stopped by the Star Gazette office to see me the other day — Don Stebbins. He was my high school guidance counselor at Moose Lake School.

Though at the time I didn’t realize it, he would be one of those influential people in my life, one of those people that steer you in the right direction, that help to form you into the person you ultimately end up being.

I had started my high school years during a bit of a rough time in my life. The transition into high school was hard enough, add to that the passing of my dad, yikes. I soon found that Mr. Stebbins’ door was always open, even if it was only for a quick hello. His support — the support of an adult who was there no matter what, whenever — was exactly what I needed. His lighthearted approach peppered with jokes helped, too.

“When are you going to write, that’s what I’m waiting for,” he said during his visit.

So, on that note, I’d like to start now, with this column.

“I don’t like to just write about anything, I need to have it stewing in my head for a while first,” I told him.

“A bit of a perfectionist?” he added with a smile and touch of sarcasm.

Yep, he knows me.

The truth is, the idea of a column like this, acknowledging those people that have meant so much to me, has worked it’s way through my mind a few times. And, you might think in my position as editor it would just come to me, that I’d be able to whip out a few meaningful sentences. To me, the words I’d put together never quite grasped my true feelings.

I’ve had so many wonderful people in my life, a number of them teachers. A good teacher — the kind that can not only teach, but pick a child up when they’re down, show them it’s okay to not understand (whether it’s school work or life lessons), or help a child to feel okay about being different, that unique is good, all in a supportive manner — is an amazing thing.

I wish for those kinds of people in the lives of my children, and every child out there.